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The one piece of equipment used on every shot is the golf ball. With a market flooded with options ranging from two-piece ionomer-covered balls to five-piece urethane balls, it can be hard to discern which ball fits your game (and budget) best. Volvik, which holds the second-largest market share of golf balls in Korea and exports to more than 50 countries, is hoping to gain further traction in the U.S. 

Their “Tour performance” line of golf balls, the Condor and Condor X, were recently tested by MyGolfSpy Forum members to see if Volvik’s claims of higher ball speed, lower spin and softer feel hold true against their current ball of choice. At $42.99 per dozen, they come in at a more affordable price than other “Tour performance” balls. 

Read on to find out if this ball deserves a place in your bag when you need to grab a new dozen.

Volvik testing highlights

Premium finish: Both the Condor and Condor X were praised for their premium finish and feel, with testers commenting that they were much better than other Volvik balls, particularly their matte-finish line.Soft putter feel: Testers of the Condor golf ball noted that the ball felt soft off the putter, which they enjoyed. This aligns with their compression rating of 85. Distance results varied: Dependent on swing speed, distance results varied for Condor testers. Higher swing speed players (95-100 mph) saw noted loss of yardage across all clubs, while slower speed players (85-90) saw increased yardage. For Condor X testers, no loss of distance was noted, holding its own against other major OEMs.Durability an issue: Testers noted issues with durability of the Condor and Condor X with the balls scuffing easily and rendering some unplayable.

Initial thoughts and impressions: packaging, finish and feel

The first impression a golf ball makes is vital to user perception. In a flooded market, shelf appeal is a factor to consider in addition to the feel and finish of the ball itself. Does the branding catch your eye enough to distract you from the likes of Titleist, Callaway and TaylorMade?

Initial impressions were a bit of a mixed bag for our testers. While tester jayyarr enjoyed the simplistic approach and extensive detail on the back of the Condor packaging, he couldn’t help but think it left something to be desired. “This seems like a good first step for them to introduce themselves to the space, but IMO they really need to up their marketing on the fact that they are now selling a tour competitive ball. The only space I have ever seen them market in before is the colorful lower tier balls with weird matte finishes and marvel branding.”

Round 1's spectacular Four-ball pairings and USA team drama has the International's feeling excited about the prospects of a Royal Montreal triumph.*

At the Presidents Cup, golf TV's biggest stars emerge from all corners — and for all reasons. But a bigger question prevails: Why?

The post How the Presidents Cup became golf TV’s most star-studded event appeared first on Golf.

American golfers Xander Schauffele and Tony Finau will square off against Jason Day and Byeong Hun An in the first of five fourball matches in the opening session of the Presidents Cup on Thursday in Montreal.

When you keep track of your scores on GHIN, you learn much more about your game than what you should on a given day.

The post What’s your golf handicap? This free trial will help you find out appeared first on Golf.

A money controversy dominated last year’s Ryder Cup. Will it hit this year’s Presidents Cup, which starts Thursday at Royal Montreal?

The post Money controversy rattled the Ryder Cup. Will it hit the Presidents Cup? appeared first on Golf.

Can the International team end its nine-match losing streak? Who will step up for the U.S.? We break down the upcoming Presidents Cup in Montreal.

Team golf has been one of the casualties in pro golf’s civil war.

For evidence, just look at the rosters for this week’s Presidents Cup at Royal Montreal Golf Club in Canada. The Presidents Cup—which is run by the PGA Tour—is missing at least a handful of LIV players who used to compete in the event. Bryson DeChambeau, Brooks Koepka, Cameron Smith and Joaquin Niemann would definitely add to the match if they could play.

Most golf fans don’t care too much about the Presidents Cup so missing those players isn’t anything to cry about. However, negatively impacting the Ryder Cup—an event with an illustrious, passionate history—would be worth a few tears.

We’ve already seen LIV’s existence affect the Ryder Cup. Henrik Stenson was supposed to be the European captain before he left for LIV and got the boot from the DP World Tour which runs the European Ryder Cup. Ian Poulter, Sergio Garcia, Paul Casey, Martin Kaymer, Graeme McDowell and Lee Westwood were among the defects who weren’t included in Rome. None of them were likely to play but they could have been vice-captains. All (or at least most) of them figured to be eventual captains in the future.

But for the most part, the 2023 Ryder Cup in Rome didn’t have any noticeable omissions. The U.S. team had Brooks Koepka (the only LIV player involved) and the European team wasn’t really missing any key cogs. (The American side, which is organized by the PGA of America, took a softer stance than the Europeans who had to protect their DP World Tour against LIV.)

A common misconception amongst amateur golfers is that par-3s are easy but that could not be further from the truth.

Our on-course data partner, Shot Scope, has pulled the stats on mid- to long-range par-3s to reveal some interesting insights on how amateurs fare on these holes.

Many clubs will include a “Magic Twos” prize pot alongside the competition in their weekly medals to reward those that successfully birdie any par-3s, and for good reason, as we will soon find out.

From 150-200 yards, what can we expect on a par-3?

Immediately, we can see that the vast majority of golfers are more likely to miss the green than hit it from between 150 and 200 yards.

Let that sink in …

“Forward press putting” is a technique where your hands and wrists are pushed ahead of the clubhead at setup and remain in that position throughout the stroke. Many golfers adopt this method as it helps improve the impact position and create a more consistent strike. However, while it can be an effective technique, it’s not without its challenges. Overdoing the forward press can lead to issues like delofting the putter or misaligning the clubface. Let’s dive into the pros and cons of forward press putting so you can decide how much—if any—forward press should be part of your game.

Pros of the forward press in putting

Promotes better acceleration through impact

One of your goals on the putting green should be to ensure your hands travel toward the target after impact. Keeping your hands moving toward the target promotes acceleration through the ball.

For those who tend to slow down when approaching the ball, there is often some inconsistency in speed and distance control.

Forward press putting pushes the hands ahead and keeps them moving that way towards the target.

Helps square the clubface

Some players keep their clubface square throughout their stroke. Others open it a bit and then close it through impact. If your putts tend to miss to the right, you may be leaving the clubface open at impact. A forward press stroke can square the face and increase accuracy.

Sorting out the usual pre-match issues. Plus, some lively press conference moments and a potential injury issue for the International men.*

Just over 20 miles from the gates of Augusta National sits Aiken Golf Club, a South Carolina muni with tons of character.

The post This Augusta-area muni is a must-play during Masters week appeared first on Golf.

GOLF Top 100 Teacher Tim Cooke says focusing on these 3 things will improve your golf IQ, make you a better player, and lead to lower scores.

The post 3 ways to raise your golf IQ, and lower your scores in the process appeared first on Golf.

The Presidents Cup is set to get underway this week at Royal Montreal Golf Club. Here's who is playing for the U.S. and International teams.

The post Presidents Cup rosters, records: Meet the U.S., International teams appeared first on Golf.

In today's edition of Play Smart we turn to Lee Trevino as he shares the biggest key for hitting solid shots with your irons.

The post Lee Trevino says this is the biggest key for hitting solid iron shots appeared first on Golf.

Nothing can boost your confidence like knocking in a testy 4- or 5-footer. But those putts aren't gimmes. Here's how to make more of them.

The post A go-to drill to never miss a short putt again appeared first on Golf.

Golfzon, the operator of the world's first and largest screen-golf tour, is set to launch a spinoff circuit in the United States.

The post Make way, Tiger and Rory — another U.S. screen-golf tour is set to launch appeared first on Golf.

Match play is all about pressure. At the Presidents Cup in Montreal, these 6 players are feeling the most of it.

The post 6 players under the most pressure at the Presidents Cup appeared first on Golf.

In this addition of Ask Alan, our Alan Shipnuck takes reader questions about the golf world.

What DEFCON is pro golf at right now? That the top two tours can’t get over 100K viewers on a Sunday seems disastrous even for football season. Combined with the lackluster ratings for the playoffs, it really does seem like this sport is in a fast downward spiral! @SarrMaclean

I’m going to say DEFCON 2: a raging crisis that is threatening to turn into mutually assured destruction. The PGA Tour has been badly devalued by the loss of so many key protagonists, and the TV ratings you cite reflect that. The Tour’s new benefactors can’t be happy, either, as the first billion dollars of private equity money was shoveled to players without a dollar going toward upgrading the product. After three seasons and countless billions of dollars, LIV still has only a modest audience and now faces numerous big-ticket personnel decisions as the first wave of signees age out and/or need to be put out to pasture.

A deal to (sort of) reunify the sport is not a magic cure-all, as many former fans have realized that they’re okay not watching golf… and Bryson DeChambeau teeing it up at the Byron Nelson is not going to change that. The tour wars couldn’t have come at a worse time because the pro game was already suffering a glaring personality deficit. Greg Norman, Payne Stewart, Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson, Ernie Els, Vijay Singh…golf enjoyed a quarter century run of charismatic stars, badasses and transcendent talent. Now the PGA Tour is dominated by low-key nice guys who barely make the needle twitch. LIV has all the antiheroes and spicy personalities but they remain mostly out of sight and out of mind. We’ll see how things shake out in the off-season but DEFCON 1 could be coming.

Is Rory’s inability to win physical or mental? Or metaphysical? @Kevinp613

If you watched the FedEx Cup finals, you might remember Scottie Scheffler’s surprising shank out of the bunker on the eighth hole. While it was a rare moment, it reminded us all that even the pros are human. The shanked bunker or wedge shot is likely something you’ve encountered far too often in your own game. If wedge shanks are ruining your scorecard, you’re not alone. Here are three simple tips to ensure you get rid of the shanks for good.

Maintain a more vertical swing path

One of the main causes of a shanked wedge is swinging the club too flat. For many players, this feels and looks like a club that comes inside as the very first move away from the ball. Once the club is that far inside, it is difficult to get it back on plane.

This exaggerated out-to-in path on the downswing leaves the hosel as the first point of contact instead of the clubface.

The result is an ugly shank.

You’ll notice this not just in bunker shots but with any wedge shots around the green. Players have a tendency to do it more often when they are taking a half swing.